Dragline bucket



Jan. l1, H. A. wHrrcoMB ET AL. 2,338,831

DRAG-LINE BUCKET Filed Jn. 9, 194s l 2 sheets-sneek 2 o 4 1 26 :1l-13g 36 i 254 as Patented Jan. 11, 1944 UNITED 2,338,831 DaAGLINn BUCKET Harry A. Whitcomb'and John W. Patch, "Welch, Okla..

Appiiation January 9, 1943, serial No. 471,863

1 Claim.

This invention relates to the art of earth moving and the like and more particularly to dragline buckets such as are attached to flexible cables, suspended from swingable booms, the latter being mounted on revoluble platforms carried by land vehicles having endless chain treads.

It is an object of the invention to provide a bucket of large capacity which holds approximately forty cubic feet of material when fully loaded, the parts of which areso constructed and arranged that the bucket will pick up, handle and move elongated objects` Weighing several tons.

Another object of the invention is to provide an open sided drag-line bucket construction wherein the component parts thereof are so shaped and `welded together that the forward edge of the pick-up or bottom thereof is strongly reinforced for sustaining a comparatively great weight of solid rock or the like overhanging and extending far beyond the sides of the bucket.

More particularly a further object of the invention is to provide an open sided bucket forme-:l of bars which are of oblong Acontour in cross section, the elongation of said cross section being disposed vertical in use and sustained spaced apart by braces welded thereto whereby the bars are so disposed that the comparatively great weight of an elongated rock or the like may be supported on the bottom of the open sided bucket without the employment of extraneous means, the

upper portions of said bars being disposed convergently toward the medial and towing end thereof for distributing the stress incident to use without distortion.

Other and further objects and advantages of 1 the invention will be understood from the following detailed description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of the new bucket attached to a portion of its towing chain, elevating, lowering and adjusting rigging, certain portions of said rigging being broken away and others being represented by dotted lines.

Figure 2. is a top plan View of the new device, the operating means therefor being omitted.

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a portion 01' the rigging shown in Figure 1 and a iront elevation of the new bucket.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation oi the bucket.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, I indicates generally the new bucket, which includes a plurality of bars certain thereof being oi different lengths. rThe bars are oblong in cross section, being approximately ve times as wide they are thick in cross scction. The medial and longest bar i2 is substantially J-shaped in side elevation and provided with a double clevis at its forward end for purposes later described. At each side of the medial bar l2 two substantially U-shaped bars I4 and E5 are disposed. As best shown in Figure 2 the bars ifi are longer in plan than the bars I'.

As best shown in Figure l the J and U bars are provided with pointed ends i8 which taper toward the lower side of the bucket and toward thevground during use.

The bars are maintained spaced apart and rigidly held together by means of three transversely disposed brace-bars 2E), V22 and 24 which are respectively disposed at the bottom, rear and top of the bucket. Thebraces are of square material :inhcross section and three sides of each thereof are embedded into the J and U bars where the braces cross the bars, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The braces are welded. rigidly to the bars at their junction for maintaining the pointed ends I8 disposed side by side` in spaced apart parallelism at the botto-m of the bucket.

y As best shown in Figure l, the inside of the bucket is lined with'a heavy sheet of material 2t which extends across the back and bottom thereof, having a portion 26 extending forwardly, at the top of the bucket, for approximately oneiourth of the length of the bucket for preventing an overflow of material through the top of the bucket between the bars thereof during use.

The bottom portion 2,6 of the `sheet 26 .extends .forwardly of the bottom of the bucket to a point rearwardly of the pointed ends I8 of the bars, having tongue rportions l28 which are arcuate and disposed downwardly between the bars.

`The portions of the sheet 25 which abut the bars lare lwelded to the latter -for vfurther bracing the bucket yand particularly the bottom thereof. The U-bars are disposed parallel with respect to each other and with respect to the medial J-bar I2 to a point forwardly of the forward edge im of the sheet 26 where the oppositely disposed U-bars at the outer sides of the bucket are provided with portions I4, said portions being disposed convergently towards each other, having terminal ends 32 which are welded to the medial bar I2 rearwardly of the `forward end of the` bar I2, as shown in Figure 2.

Similarly the shorter U-bars i6 are provided with ends 34 disposed approximately midway between the ends 32 of the bars I4 and the upper cross brace 22, said ends 34 being rigidly welded to the medial bar I2 so that the longitudinal length of the latter is prevented from bending transversely during use.

Prior to a welding of the brace bar 24 into place, rings llt are welded to the bar 24, one each closely adjacent to the ends of said bar, as shown in Figure 4, for the reception therethrough of ends ol later described chains 4i) and 42, and it will be understood that any suitable means may be employed for attaching the ends of the chains t and 4Z to the rings 35.

The chains lil and 42 are disposed so that the opposite ends thereof converge towards each other, being secured to a pin 44 of a pulley housing 46, as best shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As best shown in Figures 1 and 2, the forward end of the medial bar i2 is provided with a double clevis which includes a clevis 4% to which a heavy drag-line chain 50 is attached. A pin, bolt or other suitable keeper 52 is employed for pivotally attaching the clevis `llt to the bar I2, said pin also serving as a pivotal attachment for the clevis 54, the arms of the latter being disposed at the outer sides of the arms of the clevis 48.

A flexible cable 56 is employed, having an end 58 spliced or otherwise suitably secured to the clevis 5d.

The cable 56 is rove over a pulley wheel E!) and between the guide walls of the pulley wheel housing 4S, the other end of the cable being secured to a winding drum operated by a steam winch mechanism carried on a revoluble platform (not shown) in a well known manner.

The pulley housing d5 is provided with a pin, bolt or suitable keeper t2 to which an end of a second flexible cable E4 is attached. The cable (i4 extends over a pulley t3 secured to an outer end of a swingable boom ld, as shown in Figure 1. The other end of the boom is pivotally secured to the above mentioned platform.

At times when the cable 55 is taut, the bucket is provided with a three point suspension by means thereof in conjunction with the chains 40 and 42. At times when the boom and cable are employed for moving the bucket above the ground, the cable 58 may be utilized for tilting the pointed ends I8 of the bars toward or away from the ground, in a well known manner, for scooping material into the bucket at times when the chain El! is employed for drawing the bucket towards the winch to which the chain 50 is attached.

As thus described, it will be understood that the new bucket is adapted for numerous utilitarian purposes, including operations which involve shale, slate, rocks, frozen earth, and particularly elongated heavy objects which are not adapted to be moved by a. conventional dragline bucket having walls at the sides thereof. It has been found in actual practice that the bucket of the present invention is well adapted for use in tearing loose and moving several types of slate and rock without blasting, and in instances Where the latter are provided with seams formed by nature whereby an appreciable saving of labor is consummated, together with powder and the like.

The new bucket is intended for use and is of particular advantage for excavating purposes in country having outcroppings of rock formation, and it is well known that a large, heavy, and elongated slab of stone which it is desired to move heretofore has required a separate blasting operation to fractionate the same to sizes suitable for moving, and the new device aims to provide means for handling said large slabs without fractionating the same, and to also provide means for obviating certain of the undesirable features of the prior art practice.

In the drawings 5S indicates a large elongated slab of rock weighing several tons, and in operation the boom 'lll is swung so that it is disposed medially at right angles to the length of said rock, the pointed ends IS of the pick-up base being suitably tilted, whereupon the chain and bucket are caused to be moved toward the winch,

causing the slab l to be disposed on the portion 26 of the sheet 2E with the ends of said slab projecting outwardly beyond each side of the open sided bucket of the present invention, the cable Gd shortened for raising the weight and the boom swung for moving the slab to a desired location. At this time the cable 56 is released for dumping the slab.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a drag-line bucket constructed in accordance with our invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that our invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from `the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason we do not wish it to be understood as limiting ourselves to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out our invention in practice except as claimed.

We claim:

In a drag-line bucket, a substantially J-shaped bar, a plurality of substantially U-shaped bars disposed at both sides of said J-shaped bar, said bars having pointed ends disposed in side by side spaced apart parallelism at the bottom of the bucket, a plurality of transversely disposed braces secured to the vJ and U bars for maintaining said parallelism, sheathing secured to the inner sides of said J and U bars at the back and bottom thereof for providing an open sided bucket,

and means for attaching a drag chain at the other end of said J bar, the other ends of said U bars being disposed inclinedly toward and secured to the sides of said J bar for distributing stress during operation.

HARRY A. WHI'I'COMB. JOHN W. PATCH. 

